Hills The Year in Review Sets
Throughout its last decade of existence, Hills Department Stores commissioned many exclusive, limited edition packages of Hot Wheels cars, to be sold exclusively at its United States stores. The Hot Wheels Year in Review Limited Edition sets were exclusively designed by Mattel for Hills Department Stores (United States) for the years 1995, 1996 and 1997. It features all twelve New Model cars for each year. For the first time collectors could have all of the year's new castings in their original colors, in a very collectible and convenient, book-sized package. 1995 Year in Review For this year, a total of 7,000 sets were produced in Malaysia. The package lid reads: "Now for the first time, you can get all 12 cars from the 1995 New Model Series in one special collection. Introducing the 1995 Year in Review. This special set was created exclusively for Hills and is featured in a handsome display. It's a great way to start your own HOT WHEELS collection!" 1995 Hill's Year in Review.jpeg The following new tools are featured: 1996 Year in Review II A very similar package featuring all 12 new castings, all made in Malaysia. The total number of sets were 5,000. The package lid reads:"Mattel and HILLS proudly join forces to present the second in the series - Hills Year in Review II. This exclusively-designed package features all 12 1996 FIRST EDITIONS cars with cool wheels and gleaming paint jobs. You'll be singin' Jingle Bells with the December car, offered for the first time at retail in this set! Start collecting fast, or add to what you have with this limited edition set. Just one in a series of 5,000! You will treasure it for years down the roadway!" '' One highlight of this set is the iconic VW Drag Bus in its original colors. Online searches for this set suggest this is the rarest and most difficult to find of the three Year in Review sets. The set included the following New Models: 1996 Hill's Year in Review.jpeg 1997 Year in Review III The last Year of Hills Year in Review releases were a total of 5,000 sets. The package lid reads:"Mattel joins Hills in proudly presenting the third in the series - Hills Year in Review III. Exclusively designed for Hills, this collection features all 12 1997 FIRST EDITIONS CARS. This is one in a series of 5,000. Start a collection today, or add to yours with this limited edition set. Collecting will become your driving passion." '' The 1997 Set includes the following new tools for 1997: 1997 Hill's Year in Review.jpeg 1998 Cool'N Custom Set Hot Wheels produced 40 new castings for 1998; its 20th Anniversary. Hills as in previous years, was in the loop, and tracking Hot Wheels new-model development. It seems that it was not feasible to produce all 40 new models in a similar package, so they instead commissioned the Cool'N Customs set for 2008, featuring eight of the 40 new castings for this year. The package reads: "You can't please all of the people all of the time. That old saying is never more true than in the automotive world, where there are hundreds, even thousands of models from which we can choose. Yet some of us can't find the car that is just right. So we drop, chop, channel, paint, jack up, lower, add blowers and basically create our own custom cars to better fit our unique desires and personalities. Hills joins Mattel in pleasing custom car fans with this exclusice COOL'N CUSTOMS special edition car set. Eight newly-tooled 1998 FIRST EDITIONS cars that celebrate our need to see and be seen with some of the coolest hot rods to ever burn rubber". The cars included in this set are: Sadly the following year 1999 was the end of the road for Hills stores, as they went bankrupt and merged with another department store chain that only lasted until 2002. But while they thrived, Hills Stores held a close collaboration with Mattel, releasing exclusive packages of Hot Wheels up until its disappearance in 1999. These sets and exclusive single-car packages are cherished and collected the world over. They are truly an integral part of the history of Hot Wheels. Category:1995 Hot Wheels Category:1996 Hot Wheels Category:1997 Hot Wheels Category:Hill's Department Store Exclusive Category:1995 Model Series Category:1996 First Released Category:1997 First Released Category:Hot Wheels by Distributor